Allies and Enemies
by twilight knight
Summary: Black Dranzer resurrects;a reincaranated angel bit-beast awakes;beyblades with bit-beasts begin to vanish;a new World Tournament is commencing;a dark prophecy with 2 endings is unfolding.Will the darkness of revenge reign over the light of friendships?R
1. The Scars of the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

A/N: Just a note, Blitz isn't from Zoids... It's actually used as a short form of Blizzard in this story.  And the name Bradley here belongs to an original character I made up, so it's not the same Brad mentioned on the television show.  Black Dranzer and Dranzer are assumed to be both males in this story.  Oh yeah, this has been edited again, so some things are slightly changed.

"Speaking" 'Thinking'

**Introduction: Just the Beginning**

Immediately after his team's fateful victory at the world beyblading tournament, Kai inherited all of his grandfather's possessions, including his grandfather's mansion. The same technology used to create the dark phoenix known as Black Dranzer was used to destroy him, or so it would seem....****

**Chapter 1: The Scars of the Past**

Precisely three years after the World Beyblading Tournament the Bladebreakers participated in and won, one of the most horrifying event was about to change the life of one person whose destiny will call upon for a greater cause than just a future blader.****

One hour left before the stroke of midnight in Canada. Only one hour was remaining before the twenty-seventh day of September on the calendar.

In an apartment building, on the highest floor, a young girl, wearing a silky bluish violet scarf with patterned silver stars, was seated at a wooden table. She had long, wavy turquoise hair and eyes. She stared at an object that was laid right in front of her. Before her was a chocolate cake with sixteen lit candles. The flames of sixteen birthday candles flickered, lighting up a darkened dining room, revealing only one figure standing behind her.

"Make a wish, Sis," a voice from behind said, sounding rather happy.

"I will, Bradley. I'm just wondering what to wish for," replied his sister, who was being hypnotized by flames of the candles.

"Wish for a bit-beast, Sis. You're well into the sport we both enjoy, and you even defeated me once. Wish for a bit-beast, Lauri. A worthy one," the same voice suggested, sounding proud of his sister.

"A bit-beast? Maybe, Big Bro," she answered bluntly, "I've got it. The perfect wish." She whispered her most desired wish in her mind. "Done," Lauri informed as she was about to blow the flames out.

"Wait!" Bradley called out abruptly. "Let me switch the lights back on so when you blow them [the candles' flames], the room wouldn't be pitch black."

"Good idea. I hate the darkness. It creeps me out," she said as the ceiling light flickered and lit up the room. Bradley again, stood behind her in support as she eagerly blew out the fire on the candles' tips. As the flames died out, all the lights in the neighbourbood that were radiating began to flash on and off.

"BRADLEY! Where are you?!" Lauri called out, frightened.

"I'm right behind you, one hundred percent," he answered, putting his left hand on her shoulder to reassure her of his presence. "Don't worry, I've got Blitz right here, with me, and my ripcord is just in my pocket, in case anything bad happens," Bradley said with courage as he clutched his beyblade tightly in his right palm. They both stood up and she held her brother's left hand.

As fate as intended it to be, almost as fast as lightning, a large and dark, aggressive fire bird flew straight into a stained glass window, shattering all the glass, of a bedroom without a scratch. Flapping its burning wings, it flew out of the bedroom and into the dining room in search of something or perhaps someone.

"AHHH!" Bradley's sister, Lauri, shrieked in fear as she came face to face with the dark phoenix. It glared at her with its fiery red eyes. She had never seen a bit-beast so large or angry before, well at least not face to face. As she attempted to walk backwards in the dark, she tried to take her brother with her, away from the strange phoenix bit-beast but he won't budge. He stood there, bewildered by the dark phoenix's presence. He let go of her hand.

"Is this what you wished for, Sis?"

"No, Bradley. No," she answered him as the dark phoenix flew towards her, studying her every move.

"Aurora—Angel of Light and Dark," the dark phoenix spoke wickedly as it burnt his sister's starry scarf off her neck.

'The bit-beast can talk?' Bradley thought. Expecting her neck to be scorched also, Lauri collapsed to the floor. Surprisingly, her neck was just fine, not even a burnt. However, there was a distinct scar on her neck—a birth mark perhaps. The marks of the scar resembled a yin-yang surrounded by six triangles.

"LAURI!!!" Bradley yelled out worriedly as he rushed by her unconscious body. Quickly, he checked her breathing, and then he challenged the dark phoenix in an irate tone. "Blitz and I challenge you, Dark Phoenix! No one threatens my little sister!!!"

"Alright then, foolish boy," accepted the dark phoenix as it moved away from Bradley's sister. The bird glared at Bradley as he launched his sky-blue blade perfectly onto the floor.

"Blitz! Teach this overgrown bird a lesson," Bradley shouted to his spinning blade which was circling around the dark fire bird. "Come out and use Ice Beam, Blitz. Freeze that bird!"

Blitz, picking up speed, heard his master's orders and did what he was told. Blitz, a crystal blue wolf of the element ice, emerged from the blade and began to unleash his attack. The agile dark phoenix dodged every attempt that Blitz made. The dark phoenix didn't attack; it kept on dodging, making a mockery of Blitz.

Seeing this hopelessness, Bradley figured that the dark phoenix was after his young sister. Staring at his sister's inanimate body, he recalled the moment when the fire bird examined her up close and personal, when it muttered evilly "Aurora, Angel of Dark and Light."

'I'll be back, Blitz. Keep that evil birdie busy,' Bradley commanded through his mind as he cautiously approached Lauri. Blitz, understanding his master's orders fully, slowly lured the dark phoenix away from his master and sister. 'Good work, Blitz,' Bradley thought as he lifted his sister's body and put her into the nearest safe place he could find—a closet that could only be opened from the outside. He locked it with a key. It was right in front of the dining room—the most obvious place the phoenix would go through first. However, Bradley wasn't intending on letting him or Blitz loses the battle.

Before the dark phoenix noticed something different, that something or someone was missing in the room, Bradley made his appearance back into the fight. Now annoyed by the pathetic attempts Blitz was making, the dark phoenix aimed its first as well as successful attack upon the unsuspecting ice wolf. Blitz howled in distress. His cry of pain woke Bradley's terrified sister who was now confined by the walls. As the battle raged on between the wolf and the phoenix, Lauri started banging her body against the door of the closet in an attempt to break free and help her brother and his bit-beast. For each attempt she desperately made, she inflicted more pain upon her body, weakening herself. Defeated, she stopped and burst into tears. She peeked through the small openings of the door and watched painfully from inside her safe prison as her brother fiercely battled the enemy without her. 'There's nothing I can do.'

"Blitz! Prepare to give it one last try with Ice Strike," Bradley bellowed and his wolf nodded and was ready to send its Ice Strike attack towards their adversary, who was also ready to make a powerful assault.

Both, with equal force at the same time, unleashed their final attack. Brilliant flashes of light scattered around the room as ice mixed with fire. Blitz continued to fire out spikes of frozen water towards the fire bird in hope that when one touches it, the bird will be frozen. However, a phoenix's fire is eternal. Each spike of ice that struck the bird just melted away. The dark phoenix continued to send its flames towards the stubborn wolf. When hit by the phoenix's flames, Blitz's body would just chill the fire out. As the fight dragged on, the dark phoenix became tiresome and irritated. A new plot popped into its mind as it stopped its assaults on the wolf.

With great speed the dark fire bird began circling around Blitz and Bradley and Blitz, unaware of the phoenix's evil plan, continued his Ice Strike.

"AHHH—" Bradley cried out before he was struck by his own bit-beast's attack and became frozen.

"BRADLEY!" a voice shrieked, coming from the closet.

Blitz, realizing what the dark phoenix tricked him into doing, growled and aimed its Ice Beam and Ice Strike attacks everywhere while the dark phoenix dodged and started its fire attacks again.

Several attacks later, the dark phoenix almost made a bull-eyes attack upon the wolf, but it missed as the wolf ducked and the fireballs struck the frozen Bradley. When the ice surrounding Bradley's body melted, it crashed to the ground.

"BROTHER!!!" Lauri cried out, even louder.

Caught off guard by the outcry, the dark phoenix was struck by several Ice Beam and Ice Strike attacks, causing ice to form around its body, just like what happened to Bradley. It struggled to melt the ice away, but it was too cold, too strong. Instead of melting it, it saved its strength and used the remaining of its energy to shatter the ice. Running low on energy, the dark phoenix decided to make a fly out of there as the wolf pursued it with its ice attacks. Frantically searching for an exit with the wolf on its trail, the dark fire bird flew back into the bedroom and through the window in which it had originally came from.

Seeing it was useless to pursue the bird through the window, Blitz returned to the dining room to check on his master. No life. He was died. Cold as ice.

Lauri watched in grief as her brother's bit-beast entered the blade in defeat. "BLITZ!!! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! BLITZ!!!" she screamed in tears but Blitz did not show up to her rescue. Instead the blade stopped spinning and the spirit of the wolf was broken. He was ashamed and angry with what he had done to his own master.

"BLITZ!!! BRADLEY!!!" she continued to cry out....

                                    ***

About one and a half year later in Japan, at Tyson's temple, the team had gathered themselves for what announcement the president of the Beyblading Battle Assoication had to reveal.

"A new world tournament?! YAY!!! FINALLY!" screamed an excited navy-blue haired young man.

"It's been about five years since the last tournament," mentioned a boy with raven hair tied in a low ponytail.

"It's be TOO LONG! But, hey, it's here AGAIN! YAY!" a blonde hair boy with freckles shouted enthusiastically as he joined the navy -blue haired friend in excitement.

"Oh great, there's two Tysons now," a voice coming from a brownish hair boy's laptop spoke.

"Yeah. One is already too much," muttered a young man sarcastically with a smirk. He was leaning against a wall and was wearing a distinct, long white scarf tied around his neck.

"HEY! I resent that, Kai," the boy with the navy-blue hair commented, feeling insulted, as he stopped dancing around with Max. "Hmph!"

Everyone in the room laughed, including Kai. Ever since he and his team won the world blading championships about five years ago, a new bond among all them was formed. Despite that, Kai still revealed some bitterness and cold-heartedness so no one would dare think he softened or lost his touch.

"Hey, Mr. Dickenson, when's the tournament going to start? Will it be the same as the last one?" the boy with the laptop asked. "I didn't find any data on the new tournament on the Internet."

"Ah-hem."

"Sorry, I meant, Dizzi and I."

"That's more like it," Dizzi said. "I feel much better now."

"Well, you see, it'll be posted on the Internet this afternoon by my granddaughter. She—"

"You have a granddaughter?!?!" Tyson asked in disbelief, and Mr. Dickenson nodded. "Why didn't you tell us? Is she a good blader?"

"Give it up, Tyson. No one's going to defeat you besides Max here," Max said rather arrogantly with a chuckle.

"Well, actually, I've never seen her in beyblading battles since she moved to live with me."

"The training and everything must be top secret," Tyson said thoughtfully. "Hmmm... Will she be joining us?"

"That's a stupid question to ask, Tyson. Of course not. I have enough amateur bladers to baby-sit," Kai answered coldly and the tension between Tyson and Kai began to build up like the older days until someone interrupted.

"Well. The world tournament that the BBA is holding shall require a team of at least four members and a subsitute," Mr. Dickenson mentioned.

"Are we getting a new Bladebreaker?" Ray, the raven haired boy questioned.

"How about Kenny?" Dizzi asked.

"Dizzi. I'm the strategist."

"How about we consider your granddaughter if she can match up to Draciel and my skills?"

"You mean Dranzer."

"No, Kai. He means Driger."

"Actually, everyone means Dragoon. Right, Mr. D?"

Kenny and Dizzi sighed.

"The subsitution is optional. But I won't mind if she tags along with you boys. She's been a bit depressed lately. And I would like for her to have a little vacation—a chance for her to see the world."

"Oh. Depressed? Why? What's to depress about? Life is great and the food is good," Max said cheerfully.

"Food?! I'm HUNGRY!!! Let's go out for pizza!!!" Tyson declared with a rumbling tummy.

"Tyson!" his team scowled and Mr. Dickenson laughed in amusement.

"Well I am hungry. Perhaps dying of starvation even."

"Please hurry it up," Kai begged. "Anyone got a coffin?"

"HEY! I'm still ALIVE and well, thank you very much. Hmph!"

"Boys. Let's not get too carried away. The tournament starts in two weeks time. And it starts in China Towers in none other than China of course. Everyone's flights are already booked. Exactly one week from now, the plane will leave. All of you should get packing," Mr. Dickenson announced.

"Two weeks?!" Max exclaimed. "That's—"

"You planned all of this, like last time," Ray commented. 

"How come I don't get any say in this?" Tyson whined.

"Well, actually, your guardians and Kai already knew about this," Mr. Dickenson informed, and Kai just started whistling when his team stared at him.

"The team captain gets all the say in everything and anything, like it or not," Kai reminded with a smirk. "It was a surprise and we knew how much you like surprises, Tyson."

'Not really,' Tyson thought dully. 'Unless it's food!'

"Before I go, I must explain the new rules to all of you. To win one competition, your team must win two of the three battles. And to advance to the next tournament, the team must win three of the four competitions within one tournament. All teams are given an exempt from disqualification from losing one tournament.  And if your team loses more than one tournaments, your team doesn't advance and is automatically out of the games. Switching bit-beasts is all right as long as there is only one bit-beast at the most in your blade. Everyone must blade battle once before someone on their team can go again. That doesn't pertain to the substitute though. And the most important thing to remember now is to—"

"I'M HUNGRY!"

"Well not really," Mr. Dickenson told Tyson. "Anyway, all the rest of the rules will be posted at the BBA's website and it'll be in today's newspapers worldwide. Now, I must go, my work awaits me," he said as he exited the room.

"Hey, Chief. The site's been updated. You want to read it now?" Dizzi informed.

"O—"

"Chief, don't even think about it! We're going for lunch FIRST," Tyson emphasized.

"Ah— Okay. Sure," Kenny answered, somewhat nervously as Tyson almost shot a glare at him when he was about to read some of the rules before all of them go out for lunch.

                                    ***

On their way to the fast food restaurant for pizzas, they ran into someone. Or perhaps, someone had run into one of them, literally.

"Out of the way, please!" screamed someone from behind all of them. They were about to turn around when a young lady of similar age, wearing a bluish-violet scarf with silver stars, was headed straight towards Kai.

"Huh?"

"AHHHH!!!" they both shrieked as they crashed to the ground, her on top of Kai's back. Everyone walking by glanced at them, and then continued with what they were doing.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked in guilt.

"GET OFF OF ME!!! NOW!!!" Kai growled and his team laughed nervously at Kai's disposition.

"Hmph! Well, sorry," she answered apologetically as she removed her body from his and sprang back on her rollerblades. "Need a hand?" she offered Kai when he turned to examine the person who dared to crash into him. Glaring straight up at her, he noticed that she wore a starry scarf and had her long turquoise hair tied in a high ponytail by a long white ribbon....

"No thanks!" Kai answered grouchily as he gingerly got back on his feet without the stranger's help.

"All right then. Sorry, bye. Got to go," she blurted out as she resumed rollerblading on the streets.

"HUH?" All of them watched as she left.

"Out of the way, please!" she hollered as she vanished from their sights.

"Hmph!" Kai expressed spitefully, trying to maintain his dignity when Tyson's stomach grumbled loudly. Everyone [including Tyson and Kai] hearing this, sighed and that's when Kai noticed something peculiar on the ground beside him.

It was a beyblade. Kai picked it up and examined it. The sky-blue beyblade contained a wolf bit-beast. "Ooh. A new blade, Kai?" Max asked with great interest when he noticed Kai with a different blade. Kai shook his head.

"Then it must belonged to that girl who—"

"GRRR!" Kai growled as he glared at Max.

"She probably dropped it or it fell from her when she—"

"ARGH!" Kai stared at Kenny with fire in his eyes.

'Lucky, he can't glare into my eyes,' Kenny thought amusingly.

"Chill, Grumpy. Least you can keep her blade until you can return it to her. Until then, PIZZAS!!!"

Max, Kenny and Ray narrowed their eyes. "ERRR!" Kai expressed angrily as he placed the sky-blue blade into one of his pockets.

"Maybe we can go to Mr. Dickenson's house tomorrow and ask him if he knows the owner," Ray recommended and all except Tyson nodded. Tyson's reply was a rumble coming from his 'poor empty' belly.

                                    ***

Kai was now, fast asleep, at the mansion he had inherited. Losing all consciousness, his subconscious took over. Two blades, lying on a table beside his bed, began to glow red and blue lights. Inside his head, he saw a younger version of him holding a blade that contained a phoenix—a dark phoenix. Concentrating on the image in his mind, he heard the following words being repeated by his younger form:

"When any phoenix is born

It will never die

For from its ashes shall it be resurrected

And for every defeat that is made possible upon it

Shall increase its power unimaginable."

After the young Kai repeated the saying three times, everything in Kai's head went pitch black and cold sweat drops formed around his forehead and neck.

Suddenly out of nowhere in his dream, Dranzer appeared, soaring in the air. "Find the Angel of Dark and Light, Kai. Only she can tame the beast within the dark phoenix before the entire world's bit—" he spoke melodically before Kai woke up.

'Morning already?' Kai asked himself, still in bed. Yawning, he stretched out his arms and got up from bed. Picking up Dranzer and the beyblade that the rude stranger lost from the table, something struck him. "I dreamt of you, Dranzer. Hmmm... Was it all a dream?" Kai mumbled to his blade, and both of them emitted red and blue lights. But Kai, he didn't notice, for when he took at a glance at them in his right hand, they all both stopped radiating.

                                    ***

To be continued....

Author's Notes: Please review next.  Thanks for reading.


	2. All Fired Up

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. 

Chapter 2: **_All Fired Up_**

At the front door of a three-storey house stood awaiting four patient Bladebreakers and one hyped-up boxing adolescent. "Mr. D! Open-- Open up! Mr. D!" Tyson, the boxer, yelled impolitely.

"Tyson! Stop punching at the door before—" Kenny tried to warn when the door suddenly swung open and Tyson sent two hard blows towards the abdomen of Mr. Dickenson.

"Ouch! Tyson!" the president of the BBA whimpered and Tyson quitted his boxing career for the time being.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to, Mr. D," Tyson apologized, trying to act innocent.

"Don't play innocent, Tyson. You launched two blows. The first could be accidental, but the other is definitely intentional," Kai pointed out. "And as punishment, you'll do one hundred push-ups pronto."

"What?! Kai! One hundred?!" Tyson exclaimed in disbelief, and then fainted towards Max and Ray who were both behind him.

Instantly Ray moved out of the way, leaving poor Max to juggle Tyson's unconscious body. "HELP!!!" Max cried out literally. His eyes were wet and some tears had escaped when he first felt the pressure of Tyson's heavy body against his hands.

"Get up, Tyson! Leave Max alone unless you don't want to eat for the rest of your life," Kai threatened.

'He's bluffing,' Tyson thought as he cautiously peeked with one eye.

"Now that you're back from pretending to be unconscious, drop down and give us one hundred push-ups."

Quickly Tyson shut his eye tightly and removed his body from Max. "Hoooo—Hoooo—Hooo… Oooh…. Are you sure? Hoooo—Hooo," Tyson repeated in a spooky voice as he moved like a zombie, eyes closed, arms out and intentionally swinging back and fro from Max to Mr. Dickenson.

"Alright, Tyson. That's enough," Mr. Dickenson said as he laughed jovially, "I forgive you. So, you can come in with the team."

"Hoooo—Hoooo—Hooo… Oooh…. Ty—Ty—Ty—son's – still ….. Hoooo—Ah—Ah—Asleep… Hooo," Tyson recited eerily.

"Oh really?"

"Hoooo—Real—" Tyson managed to say when Kai pulled his right ear and began dragging Tyson into Mr. Dickenson's house by force.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Owwww! " Tyson cried out in pain as he struggled to remove the hair from his ear. He flashed out his eyes. "KAI!!!" he screamed as Kai continued to pull him into the living room by his ear.

"Show mercy, Kai! Show mercy!" Kenny begged as he followed Kai and Tyson in. Ray, Max and Mr. Dickenson trailed behind.

"Let me go, Kai!" Tyson protested until Kai finally released him when arriving at the end of the living room. Tyson quickly placed his hands on his ear, examining it.

"Now, drop down and give me one hundred."

"Not on anyone, Tyson," Max added as he hid behind Ray.

"Humph!"

"You better do it, Tyson. It'll be good for your health," Kenny claimed. "You'll lose weight."

"Think of it as training," Ray suggested with a snicker.

"Ray means retribution," Kai said, laughing maliciously.

"Let's talk in the kitchen," Mr. Dickenson said, trying to change the subject as he began to lead the way.

Ray began following. Max quickly walked with him, fleeing for his life, "Wait for me, Ray. Don't leave me with Tyson again. He's hazardous."

"Errr!" Tyson let out as he started to trail Max when suddenly Kai appeared in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going, Tyson?" Kai asked with a devious and taunting grin as Kenny with his laptop quickly tiptoed into the kitchen, sneaking away from the dangerous situation.

'Chief!' Tyson thought. His hopes of getting out of this nasty fate Kai weaved for him were lost when Kenny disappeared with the rest of the gang, leaving him to confront Kai, the enemy and cruel captain, alone, all alone. Tyson laughed nervously. "Let's forgive and forget, Kai, and head into the kitchen for some grub. I'm dying of hunger."

"Don't worry, Tyson, you'll probably die from exhaustion from doing one hundred and no less push-ups before you starve to death," Kai mocked and laughed maliciously again.

Tyson pouted, and then gave Kai the puppy dog eyes. Kai ignored him. Merciless, Kai was. "You can join us after your little workout."

"Oh," Tyson said. 'That'll be easy. When Kai leaves, wait five minutes on the couch and then go into the kitchen for some appetizers,' Tyson thought slyly.

"Don't even think about it. I'll be watching your every move, Tyson. Any wrong step will cost you dearly," Kai tyrannized.

'Drats! The creep foils my plan all the time. Oh well, I'll do the push-ups so slowly that they'll finish talking before I finish the 'little workout' and then I can leave for lunch, brunch and more brunches,' Tyson schemed. "Okay, Kai, go away so I can get started," Tyson said impatiently as he tried to shove Kai into the kitchen backwards.

"No touching or shoving," Kai growled and glared, and Tyson retreated. "I can walk in case you hadn't noticed."

"I hadn't noticed," Tyson replied sarcastically.

"Grrrr! Make that one fifty."

"One fifty?! What?! One hundred—One hundred and fifty push—push-ups?! That's too many!"

"Oh, you're right about that one, Tyson."

"Glad you finally agree with me." 

"Did I? I meant to say two hundred."

"Two hundred?!" Tyson repeated, petrified, with his eyes wide open. His body was paralyzed.

Kai burst into a menacing laughter. "Just kidding, Tyson. One hundred shall do the trick," Kai said tauntingly as he stopped laughing.

"Aren't you doing to leave yet?"

"Not till I see you sweating on the floor."

"Hmph! Fine!" Tyson whined as he dropped to the floor and began to do push-ups. Kai smiled in satisfaction when he saw Tyson sweating for his life as he did his push-ups, and so he left for the kitchen to join a saner and less baby-sitting crowd.

                                    ***

Two minutes into his fake push-ups workout, Tyson plotted the perfect revenge plan and way to get out of doing excessive training. Carefully, Tyson crept towards the entrance to the kitchen. Seeing that all of them were faced the other way and they couldn't spot him, Tyson tiptoed in and discovered a blade on the floor right in front of him. 'Kai's blade! All vulnerable. Hehehe, I'll confiscate this until he promises to be nicer to me. Hehehe, I think I just hit the jackpot here,' Tyson thought as he placed his right hand out to grab it.

His hand was halfway there when a voice furiously said, "Touch it and die, Tyson!"

Not heeding the voice's warning, Tyson grabbed the blade and began to exit the house the fast way—through a back door in the kitchen just a metre from him. "Hehehe," Tyson snickered, running away. "Bye-bye, Kai."

"Come back here you insolent thief!" Kai barked angrily. His eyes and face redden in madness, and he ran in pursuit of Tyson.

"Let's go and buy life and injury insurance for Tyson," Max joked, laughing uneasily.

"You think it's that bad?" Mr. Dickenson questioned.

"Yup! Stealing Kai's Dranzer crosses the line," Ray answered and then disappeared to help Tyson not get himself destroyed.

"Not to mention, crossed Kai," Dizzi added.

"Stealing Kai's blade is just pure stupidity and a waste of time," Kenny criticized, "Tyson should know better that Kai will sooner or later retrieve Dranzer to scorch him with."

"TYSON!!! I'M COMING!!!" Max shouted worriedly as he ran out the kitchen and into the backyard of Mr. Dickenson's house.

"Let's go too," Kenny said, "Tyson'll need all the back-up if he wishes to survive through this crisis."

"Okay, Chief," Dizzi replied and Kenny closed the laptop. As he was about to pick up his portable computer, Mr. Dickenson's kitchen phone started ringing. Mr. Dickenson got up and picked up the phone and began talking into it. "Hello?"

"Who is it?" Kenny mumbled.

"Ha-ah. Oh…. I see. Oh, okay," Mr. Dickenson said, nodding his head. "Oh my…. That's terrible. I'll be there right away."

'What's terrible?' Kenny thought. 'Worse than Tyson's crisis?'

                                    ***

Outside, in the backyard, Tyson and Kai were engaged in a fierce winner-takes-all blade battle while Max and Ray were the spectators. Both blades were spinning inside a grand metallic dish with a garden. However, only Kai's blade was in sight. Somewhere hiding among patches of flowers was Tyson's Dragoon blade.

"You can't hide Dragoon for long, Tyson. Dranzer! Come out and play," Kai commanded loudly and his bit-beast emerged.

"Dragoon!" Tyson also ordered. Dragoon obeyed.

"Time to face the phoenix, Dragoon!" Kai shouted. "Dranzer, Fire Arrow his blade!"

"Dragoon, move and use Phantom Hurricane!" Tyson yelled. Tyson's blade managed to escape when it spun out of hiding and Dragoon defended it by neutralizing fire with his Phantom Hurricane.

"What's going on here?" Kenny suddenly appeared and asked in curiosity as he looked at Tyson and Kai.

"They're dueling it out," Ray answered. "Where's Mr. Dickenson?"

"Oh. He had an urgent call so he needed to leave for a while," Kenny answered, eyes peeled to the match.

"We still haven't asked him about the blade Kai found yet," Max reminded.

"Fire Arrow!"

"Phantom Hurricane!"

"They must be enjoying this," Ray accused when unexpectedly and strangely a female figure wearing a starry scarf and casual clothes joined the spectacular destroy-the-dish-itself show.

"Intruders!!!" she shrieked. "GRANDPA. INTRUDERS!" DESTROYING MY GARDEN!!!"

Abruptly Max screamed, "Stop the match! Stop the match, guys. Kai, Tyson, the duel is postponed."

"Whatever!" Kai replied as he recalled his bit-beast and blade.

"You lose," Tyson gloated, sticking out his tongue at Kai, and then called back his bit-beast and blade also.

"Why I ought to—" Kai started to yell when he was rudely interrupted.

"WHO THE HECK ARE ALL OF YOU?!?! And why did you trespass to destroy my garden?!" the girl growled as fire glowed in her turquoise eyes. She approached Kai and glared into his eyes. 

Kai glared back.

"Oh, I remember you from yesterday. You crashed into—" Tyson managed to say when Kai roared.

"Oh? Oh! Oh yes, of course! Sorry about that," she said solemnly as her glare died down and the fire in her eyes flickered out, "but you didn't need to take revenge upon my garden!"

"Oh, that wasn't what it was all about," Kenny mentioned.

"Oh?"

"Kai just wanted to wreck everything," Tyson accused, and Kai turned his glare from her towards him.

"Kai?" she repeated.

"We're the Bladebreakers. Who are you by the way?" Max questioned, wanting to know her identity.

'I despise Beyblades and bladers. I despise all of them already,' she told herself. "Oh.  I'm Lauri. Lauri Wong."

"I see. But, what are you doing here, and why did you claim that Kai and Tyson devastated your garden?" Ray queried.

"So, it was Kai and Tyson. Hmmm.… I'll be sure to keep them away from my fragile garden. It's all wasted."

"Oh?" Ray asked. "I'm sure you'll be able to replant an even better one."

"You still haven't told us much," Kai said when another voice called out.

"So, you've met my dear granddaughter, Lauri."

"Did you just say granddaughter, Mr. D.?"

"Yes, Tyson. This is my one and only granddaughter, Laurianne Wong, the one who will be joining all of you for the tournament."

"Grandpa! What?! I'm not going with them, especially with him and him together," Lauri stated strictly, pointing a finger at Kai and then Tyson. 'I hate all bladers and Beyblades. They've caused too much destruction,' she thought over and over in her head.

"Hmph!" Kai and Tyson exclaimed at the same time.

"And besides, I haven't bladed for a while."

"Yes. She'll be no use to us," Kai insulted, "She doesn't even have a blade."

"What about Blitz?" Mr. Dickenson asked his grandchild.

Lauri lowered her head and mumbled guiltily, "I lost him yesterday."

"Actually, you see, Kai has it now," Max informed with a bright smile.

"He what?!"

"I found it after you raced away," Kai answered coolly and threw the blade towards Lauri.

Lauri, quick to react, caught it. "Thanks, I guess."

"Don't thank me yet, Girl. We haven't accepted you into the Bladebreakers. You'll need to prove to me that you are worthy to be on this team in a Beyblade battle."

"And why would I want to do that? I'm just an ordinary reporter who doesn't want to waste time on an inconsiderate blader. That goes to you too, Tyson."

"Lauri! Just blade battle. I haven't seen you done it for a while now."

"If you want me to, Grandpa, but this doesn't change my career decision."

"Good. That's it, Lauri," Mr. Dickenson said smiling.

"Then who shall me opponent be?"

"The best of course, the captain, me, Kai Hiwatari," he said arrogantly.

Lauri sighed. 'Oh, Bradley. I don't care if this isn't the same phoenix which caused your death.  It'll just have to do for now.  The bitterness is erupting from within.  I must let it out once in a while.  I will not let your death be in vain, Brother,' Lauri mused, ablaze for the match, 'The phoenix will pay dearly.' "Okay, let's go, I'm ready to win."

                                    ***

"Three… two… one…. LET IT RIP!!!" Max yelled enthusiastically, and Lauri and Kai launched their blades into the same dish Kai and Tyson were abusing.

"Blitz! Come out and freeze that blade!"

"Dranzer, attack!" Kai yelled, summoning his bit-beast to emerge to defend against Blitz's Ice Beam attack. Both bit-beasts dodged each other's attacks.

"Fire and ice, how nice," Ray said, eyes narrowed in annoyance as both blades and bit-beasts continued to escape one another's attacks.

"This will be a stalemate," Kenny deduced. "Fire and Ice neutralizes each other out."

"Who are you rooting for, Tyson?" Max asked.

"Neither one. They're both mean and grumpy. Kai made me do one hundred push-ups," Tyson started to reply when Ray asked him if he actually did one hundred push-ups. Tyson whistled.

"And even though I don't know Lauri well, she accused me of destroying her garden," Tyson continued to complain.

"Which you did," Max reminded and then whistled.

"Only because Kai challenged me! Grrr!"

'So, it was you who started it?! Once again the phoenix is the cause of all this destruction,' Lauri thought. "BLITZ!!! Use your Ice Spike attack!!!" Lauri offered in fury, and Blitz bombarded spikes of ice towards the phoenix and the blade.

"DRANZER! Fire Arrow attack!"

Once again, neither one of them were hit. Frustrated, Lauri yelled, "Blitz! Finish this off now before it happens again!"

Only Blitz understood what Lauri truly meant. If he loses the battle against the phoenix, history will repeat itself. Lauri would be mad at him once again, like she was when he cost her Bradley. The only reason why she forgave him was because he was her brother's bit-beast and because he tried to protect them from the dark phoenix's wrath. However, only one life was saved—hers. Given the second chance, Blitz will make his master and Lauri proud. He could feel his master, Bradley, close by, giving him strength. Blitz who was now stronger unleashed both of his attacks at the same time randomly at Dranzer and the spinning blade. Dranzer attempted to counter with his Fire Arrow attack once again, but this time, ice began to form on his fiery feathers. While Dranzer tried to melt the ice off, Lauri's blade cautiously and swiftly moved in to knock Kai's blade out of the dish with Dranzer not far behind.

Kai recalled his blade. "And the victory goes to Lauri!" Max yelled happily.

Lauri let out a breath of relief.  Her burning desire for revenge was temporarily sustained once more.  She recalled her blade also and thought, 'That was a close one, Blitz. Bradley would have been proud.'

"Which means that Lauri's on the team now. Welcome," Ray said, approaching her.

"You can replace Tyson," Kai smirked.

"WHAT?! You can't replace me with her! I'm irreplaceable!"

"Like my beautiful garden."

"You're still holding a grudge against us. After all, you're on the team now. Teammates don't hold grudges," Kenny lectured.

"Except for Kai and Tyson that is," Max added quickly with a chuckle.

"Huh-uh. I see. I'll only be substituting."

"YES!!! I'm not replaced! Phew!!!" Tyson rejoiced merrily.

"You should be. The girl got more potential than you, Tyson."

"And that's why I recommended her to accompany all of you, Kai."

'Oh, thanks, Grandpa,' Lauri thought sarcastically.

"Six days before the plane leaves," Mr. Dickenson reminded. "You should start getting things prepared, Sweetie."

"And thirteen days before the tournament begins in China," Lauri moaned with a sour face.

"Cheer up. You'll be able to do your interviews," her grandfather said positively.

'Oh, goody, I'll be meeting all those arrogant and hot-headed bladers that orders their bit-beasts to take out a human life,' Lauri thought, not sounding too thrilled.

                                    ***

The day of the departure to China, Tyson was running late as usual. Panicking, Tyson ran recklessly towards the door to broad on the plane to China. "WAIT FOR ME!!!!" Everyone else was there already when he entered the plane, everyone except Mr. Dickenson that is.

"What took you so long, Tyson?!" Kenny asked and Tyson just breathed heavily.

"Where's Mr. D.?" Tyson asked calming down and taking a seat besides Kenny. He scanned around and saw that Max was seated besides Ray. Behind Ray were Lauri and then Kai.

"Grandpa's busy with work so he can't join us."

"So is my grandpa. How strange. He's usually popping up out of nowhere with a dangerous kendo stick."

Ray and Max laughed. Lauri giggled quietly to herself. Kai just looked annoyed.

"Fasten your seat belts. The plane is about to take-off."

                                    ***

To be continued….


	3. Drowning in Pain

**Disclaimer:** Beyblade doesn't belong to me.

**A/N:** I couldn't think of a better title, so it's stuck with that.  Be warned that this is a sad chapter for Ray.  Sorry, Ray fans, especially my friend.  Please review after reading.  It's very much appreciated.  All types of reviews are welcomed.

Chapter 3: **_Drowning in Pain_**

            Deep within the heart of a pyramid, a dark spirit resided.  "Servants of the Dark, come forth," the dark spirit commanded.  On cue, four cloaked figures materialized out of nowhere, and were now kneeling before a black phoenix with red highlights.  It was indeed Black Dranzer, the bit-beast Kai once possessed and thought to have been destroyed over four years ago.  It was the same monster that almost claimed the life of Laurianne Wong.

            The four cloaked monsters lowered their heads at the presence of the large firebird.  "Master," all of them uttered monotonously in unison.

            "What are your commands, Master?" one of the four creatures queried blandly.

            "Laurianne Wong, the granddaughter of Stanley Dickenson, will be arriving in China soon to participate in the World Beyblading Tournaments.  When she does, you will bring her here blindfolded."

            "You want us to kidnap her?!"

            "We'll do no such thing.  We will not hurt lives."

            "If any one of you wants your humanity back, you will bring her before me.  She is essential in my plans.  Once you've succeeded to carry out all my tasks, you will lose your monstrous features and become a real human being again.  Is that clear?" the fiery spirit manipulated.  "Do the four of you need a moment to consider your options?"  All four disguised figures glanced at each other.

            "We've got no choice," one of the four monsters stated despairingly.

            "He's the only one who knows how to reclaim our humanity," another one reminded.  The other two sighed, defeated.  Reluctantly, they shook their heads.

            "The Dark Bladers will help you.  But we refuse to harm anyone," the leader claimed as he stepped out from among his team members.

            "Marvelous.  In that case then, as a bonus, you will bring Kai here also at all costs.  Blindfolded of course," the large black bird demanded.

            "Err!" the Dark Bladers growled.

                                    ***

            Stepping out of the private airplane with their luggage at the international airport of China in the middle of the night were the Bladebreakers.  "It's getting late," Lauri said with a yawn as they headed to the airport centre to handle some paperwork.  Once the paperwork was taken care of, Ray guided them to the hotel where Mr. Dickenson had booked a large suite of rooms: a kitchen, two bathrooms, four bedrooms and a small living room, for all of them during their stay in China.  It was nine in the evening when they finally arrived there.

            Once arriving, Lauri quickly unpacked a few things and got into the bathroom for a relaxing bubble bath before dressing into her nightgown.  Meanwhile slouching on the sofa in front of the switched-on television was the cheerful Max.  Ray was occupying the other bathroom, taking a quick shower and washing his hair.  Leaning against the wall in the corner of the living room meditatively was the stoical Kai while stuffing food down his throat in the kitchen was the irrational Tyson.  Kenny was seated next to Max with his laptop opened.  "So, Dizzi, how do you suppose we should share the rooms?" the Chief asked when Tyson, Lauri and Ray joined them.  Ray's hair was already blow-dried and combed neatly while Lauri was already dressed in her sleeping clothes: a white buttoned shirt and pants with patterns of ocean blue bubbles of various sizes.  Nevertheless, a starry scarf wrapped around her neck.

            "I get my own room," Lauri spoke demandingly as she stood next to Ray and Tyson tying her turquoise hair up messily with a long white ribbon.

            "I get the kitchen then," Tyson said possessively with a mischievous laughter.

            "No way, Tyson!  You wish!" Max protested abruptly as he turned off the television.

            "Yeah.  You'll eat all the food and leave us starving," Ray added, agreeing with the blader of defense.

            "Tyson and Max can share the bedroom," Dizzi recommended, "since he's the only one who can sleep through Tyson's snoring."

            "I'm insulted!"

            "Calm down, Tyson.  She meant that in a good way," Max tried to explain positively.

            "Dizzi and I will be up researching and working on everyone's blades at night so we'll need a room to ourselves.  You and Kai will share a room," Kenny added, glancing at Ray and Kai for their approval.

            "Sure," Ray answered before taking a look at Kai.

            "Whatever," Kai managed to utter as he folded his arms.

            Once that was settled, they promptly unpacked their belongings and readied themselves for some shut-eye.  "Night, Guys," Ray muttered to all of them as they headed into their rooms.  Lauri said nothing to her teammates, not even a good night.

            Lauri merely locked herself inside her chamber.  Her back braced against the door.  She was breathing relief that she was alone again, that she won't have to face these bladers all day and night.  In her head, the scenes of that dreadful night were being made into a motion picture.  Sadly, against her will, she was watching it over and over ever since the event took place, and tonight was no different.  The pain, anger and hatred suppressed within her surfaced again.  Her back slid down against the door until her head was under the doorknob as she recalled different points in her life.  Her love of bit-beasts, bladers, and the whole game of Beyblade was constantly clashing with the hatred that built up within her throughout the months.  On her brother's grave, she declared that the whole game and everything associated with it despicable and a total waste of time.  And that was the turning point of her life.  Since the funeral, Lauri moved out and lived with her grandpa.  She continued to pursue her dreams of becoming a journalist and a photographer, but now, she merely trying to shut the world of Beyblade out of her life.  But, how can she?  Her boss had just assigned her to cover the World Beyblade Tournament with exclusive interviews with the competing bladers of various teams, including the last tournament winners: the Bladebreakers.  Moreover, her grandpa sent her along with them to participate in the tournament of blading, a game that she was trying to escape.

            Struggling to bottle up her past, she reached into her shirt's right pocket and held onto the sky-blue blade.  She took a deep breath before glancing at her opened laptop resting on the table across her.  'I have to finish typing all the info from the Bladerbreakers' interviews before midnight, Blitz.'  Lauri sighed as ambled towards her chair and table.  She sat down, and as fast as she could, she typed.  'Well, at least, I'm three quarters done.'

                                    ***

            The nearby tower clock blared thrice; twilight hour was upon the sleeping Bladebreakers.  Alone in her bedroom, Lauri was in a light sleep, dreaming.  Within her dream, a fallen angel with black wings was about to take flight among the stars.  Her face was foreign and yet familiar to Lauri.  She had pitch black eyes, and a glint of light gleamed in them.  Her lips curved to form a sinister smirk.  Ribbons of white cloth hugged her snuggly from her neck to her ankles like bandages.  Her fingers and feet however, remained bare.  She wore a black cotton mini-skirt with two zipped pockets around her waist.  As soon as the angel lifted her feet from the roof of a building, Lauri got out of her bed, her eyelids still closed.  She stood beside her bed for a minute before she sneaked out of the suite in her sleep.  One of the guest saw her from behind, but he quickly dismissed what he had seen, unaware of her unusual sleeping behaviour.

            Meanwhile, in the bed chamber Kai and Ray was sharing, the holder of the great phoenix was having a nightmare about Black Dranzer.  In Kai's bad dream, he saw the dark phoenix resurrecting from his ashes and battling his Dranzer.  The two fire birds just kept on fighting and fighting.  Whenever one of them died, he would just resurrect himself from his own ashes, and then battle again.  Before Kai could witness the end of the war between the phoenixes, if there had been an end, Kai woke up, panting for oxygen.  'Morning, already?' Kai mused when he spotted the time the digital clock on the nearby table was projecting.  Skeptical, Kai got out of his bed and walked over by the window above Ray's bed.  He pulled a string which in turn pulled the blinds up.  Indeed, it was morning.  It was the crack of dawn.  The sun was just rising from the horizon line.

            Suddenly, Kai was craving for the fresh morning air.  Responsibly, he wrote down a few words addressed to his friends so they won't be worried sick when they found him missing from his bed.  He left the note by Ray's pillow before taking off on his own.  It wasn't very Kai-like of him, but he felt that it was necessary, ever since the others pulled him out of icy waters.

            As Kai walked pass Lauri's bedroom, her door was unlocked and empty.  The occupant was gone, probably off strolling.  At least, that's what the young man of few words thought.  Oh well, why should he worry about her?  That was his last thought before he walked out of the hotel.

            Different noises surrounded Kai as he dawdled in the busy streets, even at this time of the day.  Meanwhile, back at the hotel where all of them were staying, Max, Ray, Kenny and Dizzi were paying attention to the morning breaking news while Tyson was still in bed, sleeping.

            "Since the arrival of the new year, there had been many claims about beyblades vanishing overnight globally.  Many of the blades stolen contain bit-beasts.  There have been several rumoured sightings of a mummified angel sneaking out of windows of several homes during the night.  Strangely, the same bladers that reported about their missing blades are residents of these homes.  The police now suspects that this angel-like creature is connected with the missing beyblades.  About ten beyblades containing bit-beasts were reported missing early this morning," the television reporter announced.

            "I don't believe what I'm hearing.  Who is doing all this?" Kenny asked worriedly as Max muted the volume of the television set.

            "My bet is on the mummified angel," Dizzi guessed.

            "We should let Kai know about this," Ray told.

            "Where is he by the way?" Max asked curiously.

            "He left me a note saying that he's taking a morning stroll and he won't be back until lunch," Ray answered, recalling Kai's written message.

            "Maybe one of you should wake Tyson up," Kenny suggested.

            "No way, Chief.  I'm sure he'll wake up when he's hungry," Ray argued, shaking his head.

            "I agree," the blonde boy added, and Kenny sighed.

            "Where's that new member?  Maybe you can bribe her to wake Tyson," Dizzi plotted.

            "She's not here.  She probably left early also," Ray replied.

            "Oh well," Max commented with a bright smile and a shrug.

            "I'm going out to challenge some bladers.  Wanna come, Max?  Chief?"

            "No thanks, Ray.  I'll do that after lunch.  This morning, I'm expecting a phone call from my mom," Max replied enthusiastically.

            "Me neither.  Dizzi and I have a lot of work to do with mending Tyson's and Max's blades, not to mention tons of researching about the current global issue," Kenny answered thoroughly.

            "Okay then.  I'll be back later," Ray stated before exiting.

                                    ***

            Ray roamed around the streets of China until he ended up at the entrance of a forest in the farthest point of a park.  The smell and tranquility of the woods were alluring.  Gingerly, he entered the woods for some solitude and training instead of combating other bladers.

            At the same time, deep in the same woods in a small clearing, a battle was about to storm between the Dark Bladers and another mystical creature slightly hovering above solid ground.  It was the same strange being that lurked within Lauri's dream: the black-winged angel mainly clothed by strips of white ribbons.

            One of the Dark Bladers launched their blades onto the grass.  His bit-beast emerged from the confinement of the spinning top.  The fallen angel glared at her opponents with scorn.  The mummy type bit-beast unrolled some bandages from his hands and lashed both straps at the winged creature's waist.  She grunted angrily, her eyes ablaze with hatred.  A direct capture and the bit-beast began pulling her in as a mysterious fog appeared.  Hysterically, her wings fluttered and her body soared into the air with lightning speed that the mummy's bandages tore apart, releasing her.  Once free, without hesitation, she hovered over all of them and small dust-like particles shot out from her black wings and were dispersed over them.  Instantly, the four Dark Bladers collapsed onto the grass and the mummy bit-beast retreated into the blade.  Seeing that her sleeping dust worked effectively upon the strangers, she wore a triumphant smirk across her face before she flew away.

            As the black-winged angel flew out of the forest, she caught the attention of the raven-haired teen that was hidden in the forest also.  Bewildered and curious by her appearance and her presence, Ray ran after her as fast as he could in full pursuit, his eyes set on the fallen angel, as he hoped that he wasn't imagining things.  Suddenly, after two minutes of sprinting in the woods, he stumbled and fell flat onto the ground.  Whimpering at the pain of his injured body, he slowly sprang back on his feet.  His eyes scanned the morning sky, but nowhere was the mythical creature could be seen.  Ray growled, frustrated that he lost sight of her.  Then again, it was probably his wild imagination.  Maybe his trip brought him back to reality.  At least, that's what Ray told himself as he began walking back in the direction in which he ran from.  'It's time to head back and check on the others.'

            Some time later, Ray was almost out of the forest when loud shrill noises echoed, causing birds to flee out of the trees.  Alarmed, Ray raced in the direction where the sounds came from.  His velocity decelerated to a stop at the spotting of a thick fog.  Warily, he took small steps as he cut through the fog with the waves of his hands.  'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.  I've never seen fog this thick before.  Actually, I've never heard of fog clouding in this forest be—' he mulled over just as he took a wrong step.  Unforeseen, he was sent plummeting down a steep hill, screaming.  It appeared to him that today wasn't his lucky day when he slid down into the centre of a large ice rink.

            'What the heck is going on here?  Why is there ice—' Ray mused when the he heard crackling noises coming from below him.  Before he could give escaping a thought, the area of ice just below him broke.  His body fell into the icy waters.  Instinctively, Ray swam back up for air.  He struggled to pull himself out of the cold water.  It was futile though.  The force he exerted upon the ice caused it to break apart, making the puddle of icy waters encircling him even larger.  Breathing heavily, Ray cleared his mind, concentrating on not panicking.  His hand dug into his pocket for his beyblade.  Perhaps, somehow he could launch his blade onto the ice gently enough so more of the ice won't shatter.  Perhaps, despite how far-fetched it may seem, he could be able to hold onto Driger so his bit-beast could hoist him out of trouble.  It was worth a try.

            At last, Ray got out his beyblade and ripcord.  As best as he could, he tried to stay afloat as he steadied his hands so he could release his beyblade.  However, the frigidness of the waters was getting to him.  Ray felt his lower body being frozen.  Numbness was beginning to take effect.  Sensing it was now or never, he launched his blade, but as he was about to, a cold shiver ran down his spine, causing him to make a little slip up.  The blade was sent spinning at an exceedingly rapid speed, that it spun itself right off of the ice rink.  The spinning top went off balance as it change medium, the grassy ground.

            Ray sighed despairingly as he looked at his immobile beyblade from afar.  "Well as least Driger is safe," Ray said, trying very much to remain optimistic before he fell unconscious.  Alas, the extremity of the cold was unbearable, causing him to sink deeper into the water.

            Mysteriously, the same black-winged angel descended from the sky, and landed near Ray's beyblade.  Without hesitation, she seized the blade and examined it closely.  'A bit-beast,' the angel thought, smiling proudly, before she placed it into her skirt's pocket.  She zipped the pocket shut so it won't fall out by any chance.  After collecting her prize, she soared into the air again, only to discover that there was a large pool of icy water enclosed by the ice.  A dreadful thought stirred her mind.  The blader must have fallen in.  Another realization struck her.  'Driger?'  She wiped the satisfied smile off of her face as she dove into the freezing waters in search for the blader.

            A moment later, the angel shot out from the icy waters with Ray in her hands.  Rigorously, she landed and placed Ray onto the grass floor.  She checked his pulse and breathing.  His heart was still beating, but faintly.  Unfortunately, Ray had stopped breathing.  Reluctantly, her hands opened his mouth and she performed rescue-breathing on the unconscious teen.

            A few seconds later, he was breathing on his own again.  Yet, he was still asleep and cold.  Suddenly, the black-winged angel heard the ruptures of brittle twigs coming from behind her.  Fearing that someone was heading her direction, she got back on her feet, readied her wings and took flight.

            Indeed, she was correct in her assumption, for a minute after her departure, a figure emerged from the trees in the opposite direction of where Ray stumbled down from.

            "Ray?" a hoarse voice mumbled as a blue-haired teen caught sight of the lifeless Bladebreaker and White Tiger.

                                    ***

To be continuted….


	4. A Stranger's Gift

Last Time: Chapter 3

            _"Ray?" a hoarse voice mumbled as a blue-haired teen caught sight of the lifeless Bladebreaker and White Tiger._

Chapter 4: **_A Stranger's Gift_**

            The blue-haired adolescent took glimpses of his surrounding, picturing everything in his mind.  Not even for a single second must he let his guard down, or he might end up like Ray, unconscious.  An apprehensive expression plagued his face just for one moment as he approached Ray's body, never taking his eyes off his helpless friend.  Remembering his short lectures on first-aid he checked for Ray's pulse and breathing.  'Good.  You're still fighting death, my friend.  Your body is weak and cold, but you'll be fine, now that I'm here.'

            "Dranzer!" summoned Kai as he launched his blade aggressively on the ground beside Ray's immobile body.  On command, the red phoenix emerged from his tranquil confinement.  "Warm his body up.  Dry him of those icy waters," Kai specifically ordered, "but don't scorch him."

            The red phoenix squawked as he hovered slightly over Ray.  Bit by bit, the heat radiating from the flames of the great Dranzer dried Ray's soaking wet cold clothes and hair.  Consequently, the fire granted warmth to his body.  After fulfilling his master's order, he retreated back into the blade, and the blade returned into Kai's hand.

            Moments later, the Bladebreaker's team captain, with Ray carefully resting against his back, he slowly started trekking.

            Minutes into his walking, Kai encountered another human within the woods besides him and Ray.  Once he halted, he looked at her intently while she told him to go away.  The young girl's body sat on the grass beneath a tall tree.  Her hands bind around her legs while her head rested against her legs.  A white ribbon tied her long turquoise hair and a starry scarf peeked out.  She was wearing a white buttoned shirt and pants with patterns of ocean blue bubbles of various sizes.  Her feet were bare.  For some odd reason, she was shoeless.  'Lauri,' Kai thought to himself when he easily recognized her.  "Hmm.  Whatever," Kai responded uncaringly before resuming walking.

            Startled by the familiarity of the figure's voice her head lifted, and her eyes tracked down the team captain who was just walking away from her.  "Kai?  Ray?" she uttered questionably when she saw Ray on the back of the Bladebreakers' leader.  Kai did not stop for her, so she ran to catch up with her team captain.  'What happened?!' she asked herself as she walked and glanced at Kai with Ray on his back continuously.  She cleared her throat.  "Um….  What happened?"  Lauri waited for his answer.  But no words left his mouth.  'Even the interview with him was more enlightening.  Now, he's just dead silent.'

            Several seconds later, she tried another question instead.  "Need any help carrying him?"  Fruitless it was.  No answer came.  "Fine, ignore me; for all I care, I don't care."  Lauri stared at the body of the unconscious blader helplessly.  So frozen in immobility; it reminded her of her beloved brother.

            Sighing, she shook her head out of frustration.  "Listen, Kai," she said, quickening her pace to be side by side with her captain.  Not caring whether he was ignoring her or not, Lauri uttered sternly, "It would be faster if you use your phoenix to fly you two there."

            Kai bore no expression of interest on his face.  To have even the slightest contact with any part of the phoenix's body would be hazardous.  According to Kai, Lauri was mad to suggest such an idea.  But, the obstinate Lauri wouldn't surrender just yet.  "Summon your Dranzer.  Free him from his blade, and tell him to fly you and him wherever you want to go safely.  If he cares for you enough, he will take you and Ray there without barbecuing you two.  And if he is faithful, he'll return into his blade willingly when all of you arrive at your destination.  That's all I wanted you to know," Lauri spoke simply before she halted, given up on following the silent leader and his teammate.  "Do whatever you choose."

            To her surprise Kai stopped also.  He looked back at her before resting Ray on the grass cautiously.  "Are you trying to help or trying to get both of us burnt?" Kai questioned plainly as his eyes glared at her with suspicion.

            Her face had paled.  She turned her body around so that he could not continue to see her grim facial expressions.  "If you do not trust me, why did you stop and lay Ray on the grass?"

            "I just needed a little break.  It has nothing to do with me trusting you.  Like everyone else, you will need to earn that," Kai answered composedly.

            "Then you are denying me the chance," Lauri spoke calmly.  Her tone of voice was untainted by the animosity she locked within her heart.

            "Perhaps.  But if I am, I have my reasons.  I have a gut feeling that Ray had gone through more than the icy waters; my friend here doesn't need to be charred also."

            Lauri's eyes closed at the mention of 'icy waters'.  Her heart sank; added to counter the hatred against bladers and bit-beasts, was guilt.  "Truly, I am sorry.  If he fell onto the ice rink, I am to blame.  Earlier, Blitz and I had been practicing.  Neither one of us desired for anyone to get so seriously hurt by it," Lauri confessed, her voice slowly breaking off.

            'I won't argue with you on whose fault it was.'

            Abruptly, she turned to face him.  Kai's glare died down.  He raised one of his eyebrows curiously.  One of her hands dug into her shirt's pocket, and took out the sky-blue beyblade.  Both set of eyes stared at the blade resting on her right palm.  "Blitz, release yourself," she ordered impassively.

            A brilliant beam of light streaked out, sending a howling crystal blue wolf bit-beast gently onto the grass beside his new holder.  "It can work like that also?"  She nodded absent-mindedly as she put her soulless blade back into her pocket.  A weak smile formed on her face at the sight of her brother's devoted companion.  Woe and hatred gleamed in her eyes.  'What is she hiding from her own teammates?  It doesn't matter.  She's only temporary,' Kai thought to himself as his eyes searched hers when she bent down to face the crystal blue wolf.  'Why am I still here?' he asked mentally before bending down and pulling Ray up onto his back again.  The wolf growled at the sudden moments of the young teenage boy.  Ignoring the bit-beast, Kai resumed his walk.

            "Easy does it.  He hasn't done anything wrong today," she said softly to the beast as her hands rubbed against the icy crystallized fur of the wolf.  Gradually, Blitz relaxed and his attention was on her again.  "How about a little race, Kai Hiwatari?" she shouted competitively to her captain, "I bet Blitz and I can out-fly you and your phoenix to the roof of the hotel!"

            'Was that a challenge?' Kai mulled over.  He had heard her words.  The footsteps behind him rapidly got louder.  Stopping, he looked back only to discover that Lauri was riding on Blitz's back.  Stunned that she did not cried out painfully since her body pressed against the spiky body of the ice wolf, Kai commented, "Impressive."

            When the wolf raced caught up with Kai, Lauri hopped off.  "Don't be as stubborn as a mule!  Getting out of these woods are easy.  It's walking to the hotel that's time-consuming.  If I recall correctly, the park and the hotel is at least an hour walking distance."  Lauri grunted as she tried to get Ray's body off of Kai's back.

            "What?  What are you trying to do now?" Kai huffed just as Lauri successfully removed Ray from Kai's back.  She was struggling to place him onto the back of the crystal wolf.  "Ahhh—" she shrieked until Kai decided to help her surprisingly.

            "Good," she said, breathing heavily.  Turning to the bit-beast, she gave her instructions.  "Now, Blitz.  Don't harm Ray.  Make sure you carry him back to the others in the hotel without any scratches… or anything horrible.  Now, take flight, Ice Wolf!"  'Fly free for a while afterwards if you want.  Wait for me in my room though.'

            "I hope this is faster for your sake," Kai stated starkly, glaring at Lauri, as Blitz with Ray on his back began scampering away.  He glanced around for the wolf as a strong breeze blew by.  The branches swayed and the leaves rustled as the ice wolf soared swiftly into the sky, literally, and vanished out of the bladers' sights.  "Your bit-beast can fly?"

            "Sure, why not?"  A self-righteous smirk formed across her face as she thrust her body against the trunk of a tree.  Kai watched as she slid down gradually, her back colliding with the wooden surface.  "All bit-beasts can fly.  That's how they enter and exit our blades.  As for transporting people, that will take practice and patience."  A yawn broke out.  Lauri was tired, for some peculiar reason.  Gradually, her eyelids closed, and the smirk she wore was now replaced by a faint expression of contentment.

            With nothing worth saying, Kai began walking away, heading in direction of the nearest exit of the woods.  "When the black phoenix returns to you neither Blitz or I will show remorse in putting out his flames."  Her tone of voice was callous and determined.

            Kai stopped in his tracks only to laugh at the ignorance of the girl.  'Yeah, right.'  His thought filled with sarcasm.  According to him, the black phoenix genetically cloned from Dranzer and modified, known as Black Dranzer, was vaporized out of existence years ago.  Why the granddaughter of the BBA's president craved revenge upon his former bit-beast was beyond his concerns.

            "I have a warning before you go, Hiwatari."  Solemnity was evident in her tone of voice and on her face.

            "Oh?  What is it?" Kai asked with no interest.

            "Be on your guard for Black Dranzer at all times.  You and I will attract danger to the others.  This whole World Tournament is the least of my worries," Lauri spoke sharply.

            "If you do not intend to whole-heartedly beybattle in your matches, you may ship yourself out of this team promptly," Kai snapped, glaring at her.  "Black Dranzer is dead; you should not waste your time on non-existent enemies," he preached before sauntering off.

            "Wait!"  She was up on her feet again.  'If he's not careful….'

            Kai didn't look back.  To him, she was wasting his time telling him nonsense.  She sprinted to come face to face with her captain once more.  "Do not try to block my way, Girl."

            "I knew you won't believe me.  I… I… I—" Lauri stammered until Kai exasperatingly demanded her to finish her sentence.  "I've got something to give you."  Her hand reached into her pants' pocket.  Whatever she took out was hidden in the palm of her hand.

            "If it's a rematch, I don't have—" Kai stated grimly and was cut short of his words when she brought out her hand and unbend her fingers to reveal a chunk of bluish crystal attached to a black strand of material.  It was a necklace.

            "For you," Lauri whispered; her voice was a little shaky.  Kai's face was beginning to redden, and he could feel it warming up, so he quickly turned his face away from her.  A part of him was dumbfounded by her sudden offering of a gift.  It was unusual for him to receive gifts, except for a holiday or other special occasions, such as when Mr. Dickenson and his team showered him with gifts for Christmas.  The other part of him was suspicious of her motives for the offering.  After all, it was clear that he didn't like her and that she felt the same way.

            "The crystal pendant came directly from Blitz's body.  Unless it's under extreme heat, it won't melt of course."  She waited for his verbal reaction.  But, after a few seconds more of his quietness, she clutched the pendant tightly before she confronted him.  His eyes were shut.  He looked like he was in deep thoughts.

            She paced towards a large rock and placed the necklace on it.  "It's on the rock.  I'll leave it up to you.  If the black phoenix is near, the ice crystal will illuminate.  If you wish to test my truth, you may.  Experiment with the crystal by placing it close to anything that is or was part of Black Dranzer.  The real thing will show soon.  I hope you'll be prepared.  My brother and I sure weren't," she claimed before dashing off on her bare feet.

            'Brother?' Kai pondered before opening his eyes to the sight of the necklace Lauri left for him.  'Strange girl.  Where is her brother anyway?  Why didn't Mr. Dickenson mention him?  Hmm.'  He sighed and picked up the pendant.  'Enough stalking around here.  I'll get Dizzi to search online.  In the meantime,' he contemplated as he placed the necklace into his pocket and dug out his blade and ripcord.  "Dranzer, I summon you!" he shouted, launching his beyblade.

            Upon collision with the ground, the large red phoenix soared out of the blade squawking.  "Take me flying on your back, Dranzer," he commanded as they faced each other.  The large bird gave out a shrill cry before nodding and lowering his back for Kai to climb onto him.

            With great caution, Kai moved closer to his fire bird and his hands gingerly touched Dranzer's body.  "There's no need to fear, Kai.  My flames will not burn you or your friend," a voice called out in his mind.  But it didn't belong to Kai.  Instead, it was the same voice in his dream.  It was his bit-beast talking to him telepathically.

            "Lauri is still a stranger.  She hasn't earned herself as my friend yet," Kai muttered.  His hands stroked Dranzer's feathers.  There was no burning sensation; only the feeling of serenity came over him.

            Dranzer's head rubbed against Kai's neck.  "Within her, the light clashes with the darkness.  I can sense her loathing of us, bit-beasts, and bladers.  Teach her forgiveness.  Open her eyes.  Prove her reasons for despising us wrong.  If successful, she can be a most admirable ally when Black Dranzer strikes back."

            "You trust her?"

            "I trust my instincts, Kai," Dranzer answered telepathically.

            Wrapping his arms around the fire bird's neck, Kai hugged the large bit-beast affectionately.  'I've always wanted to do this, Dranzer.  Thank you for always being there.'

            "I love you too, Bro," his bit-beast uttered in Kai's head.  The blue-haired youngster smiled contently as he withdrew his hands and stared at his companion.  The embrace between the two close souls ended.  "Quickly hop on.  Let's give your girlfriend a little ride."

            "She's not my girlfriend!  And since when did bit-beasts begin ordering their partners?"

            Within Kai's head, he could hear his bit-beast laughing amusingly.  "She's a girl and she's your friend.  This makes her your girlfriend," Dranzer replied teasingly, and Kai scowled.  "Besides, she's running around on her sore feet without shoes.  I'm sure you won't argue that she needs a lift."

            "Hm…. I'm losing control over my own bit-beast," Kai mumbled before climbing onto the fire bird's back.

            Immediately once Kai was secure in his seat, Dranzer took flight.

            Minutes later, both of them spotted Mr. Dickenson's granddaughter exiting the woods.  All three of them were now entering a grassland area.  Once passing this, they would have to travel pass a few streets to arrive at their destination—the hotel.

            Instantly, Dranzer landed vigorously in front of Lauri, causing her eyes to shut instinctively and her hands to shield her face from strong winds and dust-like particles resulted from the fluttering of the bird's wings.

            Opening her eyes, she took note of the bit-beast and his passenger.  "So, I see it that you wanted to soar?"  She smiled satisfyingly.

            Kai inwardly growled while his eyes glared.  "Just hop on, and we'll take you back to the hotel promptly," he said authoritatively.

            She hesitated and took several steps backwards.  Fear was evident in her turquoise eyes.  "I… I… I," she stuttered in a nervous voice.  "I'm not very fond of heights!" she blurted out irrationally to the eyeing blader and his ferocious-looking beast.

            "Who cares?  Jump on, and close your eyes.  You won't even know that you're over an hundred feet over the ground.  Hear I am, listening to my bit-beast, and offering you a ride, and you're declining?  My patience is wearing thin, and I'm betting that your feet can't take more walking on the hot streets," Kai retorted.  "It's now or never."

            Lauri shot daggers at the teen before taking a glance at her aching feet.  Kai's bit-beast called out to her in her head.  "Don't worry, child.  My flames will not harm you, and I won't let you fall."

            She trudged closer to the large bird.  "Land me on the roof.  Blitz awaits me there," she emotionlessly expressed.  'If I am to defeat Black Dranzer, I must first learn not to fear death or heights.'

            Dranzer nodded and lowered himself for Lauri to climb onto his back.

            "Hang on."

            "To what?  Kai's white scarf?"

            "Just grab onto my shirt or hold onto me.  Whatever you do, don't pull on the scarf," Kai replied grouchily.

            'Gee.  I guess he thinks I was planning to strangle him with his own scarf.'  Lauri reluctantly wrapped her arms around his waist loosely.

            "Ready?" Dranzer asked both of them telepathically.

            "Yeah," Lauri commented dully.  Receiving her reply, Dranzer fluttered off the ground and soared high in the air.  'Just don't look down.  Or don't look down if you're not ready,' she told herself as her eyes gazed downwards.

            "Faster, Dranzer!" Kai commanded.  His voice was full of sheer exhilaration.

            Instantly, his bit-beast reacted and gained speed.  Lauri closed her eyes forcefully, fearing that she may fall.  Her grip on Kai's waist tightened.  'Not so tight,' Kai heeded in his mind when her head rested against his shoulder.  His heart pounded louder while his cheeks glowed pinkish.  He could feel her breathing against his skin.  'The race will have to wait.'

            "Your friend is asleep, Kai."

            "Or maybe she fainted."  Regaining his composure and complexion, he sighed as he gazed down at the streets of China on the wings of his great eternal fire bird.  Everything looked so small, so insignificant.

                                    *          *          *

            The eyelids of the raven-haired victim twitched open.  The young blader was resting in his bed for over two hours.  Standing in front of him were Kai and Kenny, while besides him on his right were Tyson and Max.  A barely audible hello was muttered from under his weak breathing.

            "RAY!" Tyson shouted excitingly.  A faint smile of reassurance formed across the face of the Chinese blader.

            "Oh, good, you're awake," the Chief expressed sympathetically when Ray tried to rise up from the hospital bed.

            "Stay down and rest.  You just lost one of your nine lives," Max ordered with a chuckle as he tried to push Ray gently back into bed.

            "Guys… what… what happen?  How did I get here?" Ray asked as his own mind tried to reprocess the last thing that happened to him.

            "Kai found you soaked from head to toes this morning.  Your body was terribly cold.  He used Dranzer to bring your body temperature back up to normal," the Chief explained, glancing quickly at the captain of the Bladebreakers.

            "Thanks, Kai," Ray expressed sincerely as he gazed at his team captain.  For the first time, Kai's face showed the slightest bit of concern for a dear teammate and friend.  An almost unnoticeable nod came from the team captain.

            "Blitz flew you back to the hotel," Kenny continued to explain.  "It seems that all bit-beasts have the ability to safely transport their keepers."

            "I see."  His eyes examined the room he shared with Kai.

            "She's in her room," Kai stated, noting that he was scanning the room for Lauri.  

            "Oh, ok," Ray mumbled when Tyson went hysterical.

            "Man, what happened out there?" Tyson asked vociferously and Ray suddenly remembered what happened to him before he blacked out.

            "After a few beybattles, I decided to do some training alone in the woods of the park.  During my visit there, I saw an angel—"

            "An angel?!" Tyson, Max and Kenny questioned unbelievingly.

            "Yes, a girl with black wings.  She was flying overhead.  I followed her until I tripped.  Then I decided to head back here.  On my way back, a strange noise broke—"

            "And you decided to follow it?" Tyson quickly finished off Ray's sentence.  Ray nodded.

            "Don't you know that curiosity kills the cat?" a voice coming by the door uttered.  Kai, Tyson, Max and Kenny turned around to find Lauri right behind them.  "How are you feeling?"  Lauri walked closer to his bedside.

            "Better.  Thanks to you and Kai," Ray answered, flashing a bright smile of recovery.

            "Don't thank me yet.  The ice you fell into was my doing.  Sorry about that."

            "Oh?" all of them, except Kai, responded, wanting more of an explanation.

            "I found myself in the woods this morning.  So, since I was there, I decided to do some training with Blitz."

            "So, basically, it's all Lauri's fault," Kai stated bitterly.  "Trust a girl to mess things up."  He smirked.

            "HEY!" she growled.  'The ice was going to melt away eventually.'

            Worriedly, the raven-haired boy dug into his pockets.

            "What are you looking for?" Tyson inquired.

            Nothing felt like a beyblade.  "Driger?!  I don't have my blade.  I remembered launching it.  Did you find—" Ray blurted out inquiringly.

            Kai shook his head.  "It might still be in the woods," Kenny said as the worried expression on Ray's face intensified.  "Don't—" he began to say when Ray rose up from his bed.

            "I'll be fine.  I'll pop by the woods and look for Driger before nightfall.  I'll have more chances of finding my blade when it's still bright," Ray reasoned.

            "I'll come with—"  Tyson was interrupted by some rumbles.  Everyone's attention was upon the usual hungry and growing boy.  Swiftly, Tyson placed his one hand over his stomach.  Surprisingly, it wasn't him.  "It wasn't me!"

            "Sure, whatever."

            "Actually, I'm famished," Ray admitted, slightly embarrassed.  "I guess my stomach couldn't wait any longer for lunch," he joked.

            Max chuckled cheerfully while a dumbfounded look was upon Kenny.  'This is most bizarre.  Usually, it is Tyson.'

            "Hm…."

            "There are some leftovers Max saved for you, Ray," Lauri spoke monotonously.

            "Come to think of it, I still hungry," Tyson blurted out before darting out of the room.

            "Tyson!" Max and Kenny shouted in unison, chasing after him.  "The food is for Ray!"

            "If not, you should call for take-out, or cook," Lauri suggested before exiting.

            Now, only two of the Bladebreakers remained in the room.  "Tell me, Kai.  Was it you who pulled me out of the water also?"

            "No.  Whoever it was had probably left before I got there.  We'll scour the woods for your blade after each of us refuel," Kai replied.  "And return by nightfall."

            Ray nodded in agreement.

                                    *          *          *

            While the five boys searched the woods for Driger futilely, among the darkness within the large Egyptian structure elsewhere, the brother of Dranzer glowered luminously.

            "Forget about that pesky black-winged angel for now.  Retrieve as many beyblades with bit-beasts," the black fire bird declared.

            "Why do you want bit-beasts?" Sangunex questioned carelessly.

            "Do not question my orders!  Your team's failure has forced me to change my plans.  Nevertheless, one of you will keep a watch on the Bladebreakers while the rest of you will bring me as many bit-beasts.  In all cases, keep a low profile."

            "We did not bargain for this," Zomb reminded his teammates.

            "No, we didn't.  But, if we want our humanity back, we must follow through with following his orders," Cenotaph mentioned quietly.

            Lupinex moaned silently, hating the situation.

            "I will follow the kids.  You three will gather beyblades," Sangunex declared.  "We'll meet back here every two nights.  Got it?"

            Sangunex's team nodded reluctantly.

            "Be gone!" Black Dranzer impatiently exclaimed, and all four of the Dark Bladers flickered out of sight.

            'Once I acquire enough spirits, I will be able to walk among the humans without causing suspicion….'  The black phoenix squawked gleefully at his ingeniously wicked notions.

                                    *          *          *

To be continued….

**Disclaimer:** Beyblade doesn't belong to me…. *How many times do I need to mention this?*


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